05.10.2016.
Balkan Medical Task Force Standing Organization Headquarters opened
Defence Minister Zoran Djordjevic attended the opening ceremony of the Balkan Medical Task Force Standing Organization Headquarters in Skopje.The Balkan Medical Task Force (BMTF) Standing Organization Project allows states to more efficiently use their medical forces and resources, and is the best example of the functioning of the ‘pooling and sharing’ principle, Minister Djordjevic said in his address to the media. He stressed the great importance of the Balkan Medical Task Force, as a unit that will be able to provide medical assistance in crisis situations and quickly respond to eliminate the consequences of disasters in the region. "The establishment of such a unit in the region will be of benefit for all the participating countries and the opening of the BMTF Standing Organization HQ is the first step towards that goal", Djordjevic said.
Minister Djordjevic expressed his hope that the entire legal framework concerning the establishment and operation of BMTF will be established in due course, and that all the participating countries and partner countries will make efforts for BMTF to become a recognizable and respectable regional power.
Djordjevic pointed out that the Republic of Serbia attaches particular importance to regional cooperation constantly working on developing good neighbourly relations and mutual understanding. He stressed that, at the moment, all the countries of our region are faced with the same or very similar challenges and risks, which call for a common response in solving them.During his stay in Skopje, Defence Minister Zoran Djordjevic spoke with the Slovenian Defence Minister Andreja Katic and Macedonian Defence Minister Zoran Jolevski.
During the meeting with Minister Katic, Djordjevic said that Serbia appreciates the support of Slovenia in the European integration process, especially in the process of opening negotiation chapters without additional conditionality. He conveyed his gratitude to the members of the Slovenian KFOR contingent on their professional engagement and contribution to security in Kosovo and Metohija.
Djordjevic and Katic expressed their readiness to cope with the numerous security challenges posed by the current time by joint efforts and engagement in the forthcoming period. Both sides agreed that cooperation in the field of defence follows the overall bilateral relations, and that there is room for its further enhancement.Ministers Djordjevic and Jolevski expressed their satisfaction with the fact that the defence cooperation between Serbia and Macedonia was developed, especially military-to-military, military educational, military medical, and cooperation in the field of public relations. The possibility of education of members of the Macedonian Army at the Military Medical Academy Faculty of Medicine and the necessity of making the initiative to overhaul the helicopter more concrete, were assessed as a possibility for further expansion of cooperation.
Speaking about his pleasure to be present at the opening ceremony of the Balkan Medical Task Force Standing Organization Headquarters in Skopje, Djordjevic emphasized that it was a crown of the previous successful cooperation between the ministries of defence of Serbia and Macedonia, as well as among the countries in the region.
Speech by Minister Djordjevic
